


Waiting

by mari4212



Category: Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Gen, Mother/Daughter relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-14 01:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/143665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mari4212/pseuds/mari4212
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danger is hardest on those who watch and wait in the night hours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jedi Buttercup (jedibuttercup)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedibuttercup/gifts).



She’d thought she was done with this.

This sickening twist of tension deep in the pit of her stomach that meant that someone she loved was out there in danger, and she wasn’t able to do anything to stop it.

Only this time, it wasn’t Michael. Michael, who had always seemed so strong and untouchable, ever since she first met him battling a dragon to rescue her. Michael who had emerged unscathed from all but that last battle. No, this time Charity didn’t even have the illusions of her husband’s invulnerability to comfort her.

Because this time it wasn’t Michael she was waiting up for, wondering if this would be the time when she wouldn’t get her loved one back. This time it was her baby out there, fighting against ridiculous odds. It was Molly who had headed into battle. And even Dresden had admitted that Molly’s talents weren’t suited for combat.

She’d wanted to object, when Molly had told her where she was going, what she was going to do. She’d wanted to scream, to put her foot down, to demand that Molly stay right here where it was safe, not run off on a fool’s errand behind Harry Dresden, the man who ran into dangers angels would shy away from. She wanted to beg and plead with Dresden, to ask him if he hadn’t done enough damage to her family when he’d pulled Michael into that last battle.

She hadn’t. And it wasn’t because she was a good person feeling compassion for an innocent little girl, no matter what her husband believed. Nor was it a result of believing that her daughter was old enough and wise enough to make decisions like this on her own. Charity was reasonably sure she’d never quite believe that in her heart, no matter that eventually she’d have to step back and let all of her children make those kind of choices.

No, this was something more basic, more elemental. She’d looked at Harry and she’d seen herself. Herself as she’d been only a few years ago. Driven with the knowledge that his child was in danger and that he would walk through fire, ice, space’s vacuum, and three different dimensions of hell if necessary to get her back.

She’d been Harry, not too long ago. She still woke up screaming from nightmares where they’d been too late at Arctis Tor, or where Dresden had been less successful in arguing for Molly’s life. Dresden had put his life on the line for her child. And no matter how much she’d wanted to argue otherwise, she owed the same chance back to Dresden.

But God in heaven, she wished he’d never needed to call it due.


End file.
